The Swiss National Council has approved a revision of the Aviation Act that would lock in the operating hours of Zurich and Geneva airports, extending legal protection from infrastructure to operations themselves. The vote, 130 to 60, gives the national hubs a firmer statutory shield against future curbs on takeoff and landing windows.
For Zurich, the current 06:00 to 23:00 schedule, with delays permitted until 23:30, and Geneva’s 06:00 to 00:00 window, with delays until 00:30, would be protected against legislative tightening. The move backs hub connectivity, long-haul banking on slot integrity, and the economics of direct intercontinental services. The upper chamber still needs to complete the file before the clause becomes fully embedded in federal law.